Fire's Yallop moves on after loss of Jones
Little has gone his way this season, so Chicago Fire coach and director of soccer Frank Yallop knew how to react when he heard the team wouldn't get U.S. midfielder Jermaine Jones.
"I was upset, but we move on and keep going," Yallop said.
Yallop said the Fire did not have a representative at the Major League Soccer blind draw that determined which team Jones would play for, a two-team draw New England won.
"It's fair," Yallop said. "They've done a lot of them and I totally accept it. No problems there."
He found out the draw's result just before taking off on a flight following Saturday's game at Toronto.
"It wasn't a great flight, but you know, we had to expect that. It's 50-50 and that's the way it goes and we didn't win it," Yallop said.
The Fire will continue looking to add to its roster until the Sept. 15 league roster freeze date.
"There's not a lot out there at the moment, but adding (forward Robert Earnshaw) was great for us," Yallop said. "... We move forward. We just keep looking now. If it's right now, great. If it's not we just make sure we're growing and getting ready for next season."
The Jones outcome won't dissuade the Fire from going after other top players, he said.
"It doesn't stop now," Yallop said. "We've got some money to spend, and we're going to try and do it right. ... Moving forward the club wants to compete and get going and add some real top players. I'm excited about the next little while, that we can really look at some top-notch players to bring in and obviously help us, not just for this season."
Nyarko is back:
Yallop called the return of midfielder Patrick Nyarko to training like signing a new player.
That's how much Nyarko means to the team. Nyarko seemed thrilled to be back also.
While dealing with a sprained knee, Nyarko also had minor surgery on an ankle.
"The healing process took slower than we all thought," Nyarko said. "Finally I started turning the corner a couple of weeks ago.
"... There's nothing like being in the training room for 2½ months. I'd come in some mornings and I'd know exactly what we're going to do. I'd start yelling at the trainers and stuff like that. It's not their fault, but it is what it is, and finally it's good to come back with the team."
Nyarko said he is not quite 100 percent. He hopes to be available for selection Saturday against FC Dallas (7:30 p.m., Channel 50), but Yallop said that wasn't likely.
Another injury update:
Forward Mike Magee probably will miss Saturday's match with a hip injury that's causing other problems in his leg.
"I think it's not a long-term thing," Yallop said.
Leaving town:
Defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado's time in Chicago was short. He arrived in the off-season along with Patrick Ianni from Seattle in a trade for Jalil Anibaba and was dealt last week to Chivas USA for allocation money.
"It was a big salary for us to handle for next season, so I thought it was a fair deal," Yallop said. "Jhon wasn't starting regularly anyway and I felt it was the right time to do that."
Hurtado is being paid $210,000 this season, according to the MLS Players Union, and the Fire has complained about salary-cap issues all season.